After: Color Without The Kitsch

After: Color Without The Kitsch

The entry to your home should delight guests, not depress them. But at Angie and Colby Campbell's 1910 Colonial Revival, in Brewer, Maine, grungy 1970s "upgrades"—dark wood paneling and brown shag carpet—overwhelmed the small foyer.

Painted Blue Ombre Balusters

Painted Blue Ombre Balusters

The crowning touch is the set of colorful pine balusters they bought to replace the existing, damaged set; they got them wholesale, preprimed, through Colby's job at a millwork company. Before installation, Angie coated them in shades of serene, ocean-inspired blues, then arranged them in graduated shades from light to dark for an ombre effect.

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A Few Coats for Newel Post and Floors

A Few Coats for Newel Post and Floors

The original newel post and handrail only needed to be refinished with a coat of polyurethane, and the bare maple floor sanded and stained, before the entry was ready for company. But visitors aren't the only ones who appreciate the space's new look. "I really could spend all day there now," Angie says. "All those shades of blue make it so calming."

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The Project Tally

The Project Tally

• Freshened the walls by installing new drywall and painting it $380
• Ripped out the old shag carpet, then painted the wood treads brown before attaching white MDF beadboard to the risers $80
• Bought preprimed wood balusters at cost and painted them with eight sample pots of blue paint before installing $104
• Sanded, stained, and sealed the existing wood floor $60
• Refinished the newel post and handrail with a coat of leftover polyurethane $0

After: Color Without The Kitsch

The entry to your home should delight guests, not depress them. But at Angie and Colby Campbell's 1910 Colonial Revival, in Brewer, Maine, grungy 1970s "upgrades"—dark wood paneling and brown shag carpet—overwhelmed the small foyer.

Painted Blue Ombre Balusters

The crowning touch is the set of colorful pine balusters they bought to replace the existing, damaged set; they got them wholesale, preprimed, through Colby's job at a millwork company. Before installation, Angie coated them in shades of serene, ocean-inspired blues, then arranged them in graduated shades from light to dark for an ombre effect.

A Few Coats for Newel Post and Floors

The original newel post and handrail only needed to be refinished with a coat of polyurethane, and the bare maple floor sanded and stained, before the entry was ready for company. But visitors aren't the only ones who appreciate the space's new look. "I really could spend all day there now," Angie says. "All those shades of blue make it so calming."

The Project Tally

• Freshened the walls by installing new drywall and painting it $380
• Ripped out the old shag carpet, then painted the wood treads brown before attaching white MDF beadboard to the risers $80
• Bought preprimed wood balusters at cost and painted them with eight sample pots of blue paint before installing $104
• Sanded, stained, and sealed the existing wood floor $60
• Refinished the newel post and handrail with a coat of leftover polyurethane $0